Automobile signal



March 22, 1927.

R. L.. DlcKsoN AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL Filed Nov. 24. 1925 Hel n 00M ai MM wJM m u m, P w 0 Rad Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

Maur ois-slice;

Awolimernn` SIGNAL.

Application filed. November 24.-, 1925.

.My invention is an automobile signal of the semaphore signal arm typeadapted to. be swung intoA several different positions to'givethe-conventional indicating signals, the armv being continuouslyilluminated at. night.

An object of my invention isa. semaphore signalgaiin type ofsignal,adapted to he attached 4'to a vehicle, the arm being pivoted to swingverticallyv in, angaro of a circle and having a lamp suitably mounted toilluminate both sides of the arm.

A further object of my inventionis toI provide a. hand lever operatingthe signal arm through the train of gearsand having sockets to ,hold thehandle invarious posiT tions and thus the signal arm in definite conventional signalling positions. My semaf phore arm is adapted to .givesuch conventional signals as a,downwa.rd `inclination of 20 451 degreesto indicate a stop. signal, a horizontal position to indicate aleftiturn andan upwardly inclined position of45 degrees to indicate aright turn.

My automobile signal considered generally, comprises` a' pivotallymounted semaphore arm being preferably swivelled to a swivel shaftsuitably mounted on avehicle, the arm,

carryinga bracket'and having a lamp secured to the bracketl adapted toilluminate` opposite sides ofthe semaphore orsignaly arm'.

A further featureof my invention comprises a housing-or gear box forminga journal for the swivel shaft with a train of gears therein and a handlever connected to one of the gears operable into one of severalpositions to give conventional signals.

My invention will be more readily understood from the followingdescription and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of part of an automobile showing my signalor semaphore arm attached adjacent the windshield of an automobile andprojecting outwardly from the cowl.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the gear box, indicating a trainof gears yfor operating the semaphore or signal arm.

Fig. 3 is an elevation partly in section of the gear box, the semaphoresignal arm and the hand lever to operate the train of gears and hencethe arm.

Serial No. 71,123.

Fig. 4. is a detail section on the line of Fig. 3' in the direction ofthe arrows, showing the mounting for a. lamp..

Thel general mount-nag` of my, invention. is indicated particularly inFigs. 1 and 2,1 in which the numeral 1 designates a board such as a dashboa-rd rattlie back ofthe cowl `2of an .automobile and a gear box Sisattached() to they back of the biVia-rd. This hor contains the gearinghereafter described: and supports the signal arm. i

The box is constructed with a plate tbolt: ed to the board 1 and'with`aV cover 5 extend 65 ing inwardly and with the top 6 and "bottom,

7 forming an, enclosure for the` train of gears. A sieeve 7 is securedtothe, platee. and extends through an aperture 8 in the plate and anaperture 9. inthe boardl'pro- 70 jectingthrough the cowl 2gas showninFig.4v 1. This sleevecontains a swivel shaft 10 lon which is mountedasig-nal` arm 11.. This arm is formed with a sheet of metal'havf ingasquared aperture 12^mounted on the'75 squared end 13 of the shaft 10land having-a narrow' inner section- 141 and a wide outersection 15shaped to simulate a person,"s hand, theti-ngers pointing; Theiarm istlatl inv al verticalplaneand the shaft 10 is mountedlso to swivel on ahorizontal `axis parallel'to thel hand, thu-s swinging'the arm` in a`vertical" plane. A- bracket 16 formed ofaflat plate off somewhattriangular shapev with an enlarged boss 17 is fastened to the arm bymeans of a bolt 18 and forms a support for the lamp holder 19. Thishousing has a cylindrical portion 20 for the lamp socket and a flattenedend 21 riveted to the bracket 90 16. The lamp holder has an arcuate slotor opening 22 adapted to allow the light to shine from the lamp bulb 23on both sides of the end portion 15 of the signal arm. Electric leads 24extend from the lamp 95 holder to the gear box which is provided Y witha switch 25 for the light.

The gears for operating the signal arm are shown particularly in Figs. 2and 3 and comprise a driven gear 26 on a squared end 100 of the swivelshaft 10 and spaced from the plate 4 by a sleeve 27. An idler gear 28 ismounted on a stub shaft 29 and a driving gear 30 is mounted on anotherstub shaft 31.

These shafts are xed and provided with sleeves 32 spacing the gears fromthe plate 4. A. hand lever 33 is rigidly secured to the gear 30 so as torock said gear when the hand lever arm is swung Vto the differentsignalling positions as hereafter' described.

A bar 34 is secured inside the gear box and has a series of indentationsor sockets designated 35, 36, 37 and 38. The lever arm is formed ofspring material tensioned to press against the bar 30 and will rest inthe various sockets when the lever arm is swung to such position.

In the illustration of Fig. 3, the lever arm is shown in the idleposition with the signal arm hanging downwardly out of a signallingposition. IVhen it is desired to give a stop signal the hand lever ismoved to Vthe socket 36, thus moving the signal arm to the dottedposition 39 and has a downward inclination of substantially i5 degrees.T he left turn signal is given by swinging the handle to the socket 3T,thus positioning the signal arm horizontally as indicated by the numeral40. For the right turn signal the arm is swung to the groove 38inclining the signal arm upwardly at an angle of degrees.

It will thus be seen that a simple manipulation of the hand lever swingsthe signal arm into-the various positions to give the conventionalautomobile signals of stop, left and right turn and in the idle positionit gives no signal. For use at night the switch is turned to the onposition, thus giving a continuous illumination on the signal arm.

It will be apparent that my signal arm could be attached to differentparts of an automobile and operated by a train of gears in the mannerabove described and may be adapted to be secured to differents parts ofa vehicle7 without departing from the spirit of my invention. Changesmay be made in the general design and specific features as set forth inthe description, drawings and claims, these being within the scope of myinvention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An automobile signal comprising in combination a pivoted shaftsuitably mounted on a vehicle, a fiat signal arm rigidly attachedto saidshaft, a bracket secured to the arm and extending from one edge thereof,a lamp holder secured to the bracket and extending along one edge of thearm, and having an arcuate opening facing the edge of the arm, a. lamppositioned in the holder to shine thro-ugh the opening thereof on to theedge and opposite side faces of said arm. Y

2. In an automobile signal, a signal arm having an indicator pointermounted on a vehicle, said pointer being constructed of a flat plate, aflat sheet metal bracket attached to the pointer, one of the faces ofthe.

bracket and one of the faces of the pointer contacting and the bracketextending beyoud one edge of the pointer, an upper lamp holder having aflattened end with said end attached to the bracket, a holder extendingalong one edge of the pointer, the. holder having a slot or openingtherein and the lamp in the holder positioned to Shine through theopening on to the edge and two sides of the pointer.

3. In an automobile signal, a signal arm mounted on a pivot, said armbeing constructed of a flat plate having a pointer structure at theouter end, a fiat sheet metal bracket attached to the pointer arm, oneof the faces of the bracket and one of the faces of the platecontacting, a lamp holder attached to the bracket and extending over theedge of the pointer arm, said lamp holder being adapted to support alamp, whereby the light from the said lamp will illuminate both sides ofthe pointer arm.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

R. L. DICKSON.

